Tag: body mechanics

The above video compares the pitching mechanics of a 15-year-old high school freshman to a top major league starting pitcher. Improving pitching performance—mechanics, velocity, control—while reducing the risk of injury is much easier when you know how to recognize and fix mechanical faults. Most pitchers can easily add 5-7 mph to their velocity by improving…

Here are some common causes of pitching arm injuries that can also affect pitching velocity and control: Poor pitching mechanics Lack of conditioning or doing the wrong workout Weight lifting Overuse throwing Lack of proper warm-up Not throwing enough pitches in practice to keep the pitcher “fit to pitch” for games Arm Pain Can Affect…

Long toss does not improve pitching velocity, arm strength or reduce the risk of arm injuries. Instead, long toss encourages pitchers to waste time on an activity that clearly has no real benefit to improving pitching performance. The video above demonstrates and compares four critical positions that a pitcher must get his body into if…

by Dick Mills on August 04, 2009 The video explains the importance of lower body pitching mechanics and how weight shift is one of the keys to improving pitching velocity. This is true whether a pitcher is just starting out in Little League or is looking to boost his pitching velocity. The biggest misconception out…

by Dick Mills on March 29, 2009 Most parents of Little League pitchers want their sons to stay injury free while maximizing velocity and building good control of the ball. The only way to accomplish this is to help the Little League pitcher develop solid pitching mechanics where the body does the work and not…

Just because a pitcher throws with high velocity, should we ignore his pitching mechanics and the possibility of an arm injury? Stephen Strasburg, the RH pitcher from San Diego State is projected to be one of the top five picks in the upcoming draft. His velocity ranges from the mid to upper 90’s. He has…

Why don’t more pitchers try to improve their pitching velocity by using some aspects of Tim Lincecum’s delivery? A recent article on the cover of the sports section of the March 17, 2009 issue of USA Today reads Lincecum’s special delivery is overpowering on mound and talks about his unique skill. Tim Lincecum is just…

Does long toss improve pitching velocity? The sports science research says no. Long toss cannot improve pitching velocity because arm strength has proven not to be a factor for producing pitching velocity. This video by Jaeger Sports, a long toss advocate, demonstrates what is referred to as the “pull down” phase, which is supposed to…

This is a video of a high school pitcher with very poor mechanics. To me his pitching mechanics are very obviously poor, but apparently not so obvious to his high school coach or private pitching instructor. Not only will pitching mechanics like this reduce velocity and control, but they will also add undue stress to the throwing…

This video of a 12-year-old Little League pitcher demonstrates Momentum Pitching, a new and effective way to help pitchers not only produce more velocity quickly but be more effective against hitters since moving faster gives hitters less time to react. There is no balance position in Momentum Pitching since a balance point limits the ability…

There is a good reason why pitchers should not copy the pitching mechanics of major league pitchers. According to sports scientist and the late biomechanist James Hay, when you copy a champion’s style or mechanics you also copy their biggest flaws. Dontrelle Willis’ Mechanical Faults Detroit Tigers and former Florida Marlins unorthodox lefty Dontrelle Willis…

How can Little League, high school and college pitchers improve their pitching velocity? The latest sports science research has proven that pitching velocity must come from improving pitching mechanics rather than strength. This video show Giants’ Tim Lincecum’s pitching mechanics at different points of his career. They are worth studying. I was especially glad to see that…

The towel drill for improving pitching mechanics is one of the three biggest time wasters for pitchers. The other two are long toss and other various pitching drills, all of which only serve to create slow and robotic pitching mechanics with less velocity. The towel drill is very popular and supposedly used to improve various…

With runners on base, there are two ways that pitchers pitch from the stretch. The most common way is to start with the feet spread apart, parallel to the rubber. The pitcher then lifts his lead leg up and at the same time shifts his weight back over his back leg. There Are Three Big…

Here are 11 ways that sports science believes pitchers could dramatically improve in 2009: Stop looking for magic ways to improve velocity – there are none. Stop wasting time on what has not “proven” to work to boost performance, such as long toss, pitching drills, weight training, short distance bullpens, throwing at less than game…

Most parents want to know how they can help their son’s build a strong foundation in pitching mechanics in order to maximize velocity and create better control while reducing the risk of arm injuries. The latest sports science research suggests that today’s pitching instruction is actually counterproductive for attaining that goal because it is creating…

There is really only one way to evaluate pitching mechanics, and that is by videotaping. Pitching instructors or coaches who stand back and just watch with the naked eye will always miss many important problems, which could help pitchers improve both velocity and control while reducing arm injuries. Here are some pitching tips on what…

How should you as a parent go about trying to find a qualified baseball pitching instructor for your son? This should be a very well-thought out decision because what the instructor teaches your son could have a huge impact on his future pitching performance. The problem is not finding one, but rather finding one who…

Here is an email I received today from a typical youth pitcher father asking about why his 13-year-old son’s control is getting worse as he has moved from 46 feet to 60 feet. He wants to know what difference our program will make. Also, what can I teach him so I can help him or…

Bringing The Gap Between Fundamentals & Innovations In Pitching.

In 2004 we developed the first evidence-based pitching program based on sports science research, instead of common coaching beliefs. Through this research we've also learned video analysis is still the best and most accurate way to assess pitching mechanics. We not only show pitchers at all levels their faults and the adjustments, but work with there style in order to improve their velocity and control, all while reducing their risk of arm injuries. The true difference about our coaching methods are simple, our clients will truly feel the difference and that's the only true way towards improvement and development.